American rapper Eminem, 45, secretly dropped a new album called Kamikaze, and the combative nature of the tracks attacking fellow rappers are already causing controversy.
The songs reflect an artist who seems to be on a virulent tirade after his previously panned 2017 album, Revival.
In response to Revival's poor reception, Eminem is going for shock value. He is not merely trolling the younger generation of artists, he's also waging a war with the very genre of music that thrust him into the spotlight a couple decades ago.
The caustic artist took aim at the likes of Drake, Chance the Rapper, Lil Yachty, and Lil Pimp on the new online album, but his mockery of the rapper, Tyler, the Creator, went a little too far with his homophobic lyric.
In the lyrics for "Fall," he expresses "My attack is vicious, Jack the Ripper, I'm back in business" before using a homophobic slur.
Here's a lyrical excerpt, according to the lyric website, Genius.
Tyler create nothin', I see why you called yourself a f****t, bitch
It's not just 'cause you lack attention
It's 'cause you worship D12's balls, you're sack-religious
If you're gonna critique me, you better at least be as good or better
Listeners immediately slammed Eminem for his derisive lyrics.
Tyler Gregory Okonma – commonly known as Tyler, the Creator – is a 27-year-old who came to prominence as part of an alternative hip hop collective called Odd Future before releasing his first solo mixtape with 2009's Bastard.
Tyler hasn't officially come out as gay, but his own lyrics speak for him.
In his song "I Ain't Got Time" off of his Grammy-nominated album Flower Boy from last year, he alluded to his homosexuality with the following lyrics:
Next line I'll have em; like woah
I've been kissing white boys since 2004
Though Tyler, the Creator seems confidant in his sexuality, Zach Stafford, the editor-in-chief for Into – a digital LGBT magazine – called out the fans supporting Eminem for using the F-word so freely.
The Atlantic confirmed Eminem's status as a definitive entertainer in that his provocative take on hot-button topics forces listeners to reckon with his acerbic verbal assaults. He just wants to be heard at all costs.
"Turn the album on and, for however you respond to its homophobia and sexism and callous invocations of mass shootings, you might find yourself caught up as he ornately weaves one terrible thought into another."
At 45 years of age, he's still getting the attention he demands with his antagonistic vocals seemingly gripping at your shirt collar.
H/T - Indy100, Twitter, Atlantic,
